Method of independently controlling motion of movers along a path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10717606-B2
Application number	US-201815990851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of independently controlling the velocity profile of movers traveling along a path comprising the steps of:
a) providing a system comprising:
a track that forms a path for movers;
a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along said path, said movers comprising a driven member that is oriented to be contacted by at least one drive element at any position along the path, wherein said movers comprise at least a first mover and a second mover;
a plurality of rotationally free drive elements having rotational axes that are arranged along the track, wherein said drive elements comprise at least a first drive element and a second drive element, wherein said second drive element is positioned downstream in a machine direction from said first drive element, said drive elements each comprising a surface that is oriented to contact the driven member of said movers, wherein said drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of said movers to provide controlled motion of said movers independently around said track, wherein the drive elements are each driven by a rotary motor; and
a programmable computer control system in communication with the rotary motors for controlling the motion of the rotary motors;

b) synchronously mechanically engaging the driven member of the first mover mechanically with the first drive element at a first position along the path, wherein the first drive element is driven by a first rotary motor with a first rotational velocity, and the first rotational velocity of said first drive element prescribes the tangential velocity of the first mover;
c) moving said first mover with said first drive element at a first velocity profile and first acceleration to a second position;
d) synchronously mechanically engaging the first mover with the second drive element at a second position, wherein the second drive element is driven by a second rotary motor with a second rotational velocity, and the second rotational velocity prescribes the tangential velocity of the first mover;
e) moving a second mover and its driven member into position to approach and mechanically engage said first drive element, wherein the driven member of said second mover is moving at a tangential velocity;
f) adjusting the rotational velocity of the first drive element with the first drive motor to a third rotational velocity, where the third rotational velocity of said first drive element causes the tangential velocity of the first drive element to match the tangential velocity of the approaching driven member of the second mover; and the mechanical engagement between the first drive element and the approaching driven member of the second mover are synchronized; and
g) synchronously mechanically engaging the driven member of the second mover with the first drive element at said first position wherein the first drive element is driven by said first rotary motor with said third rotational velocity, and the third rotational velocity of said first drive element prescribes the tangential velocity of the second mover; while the tangential velocity of the first mover is independently controlled by the second drive element driven by the second rotary motor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the following conditions occur when the first mover is being transferred from engagement with the first drive element to the second drive element:
1) as the first mover travels, and the driven member of the first mover is driven by mechanical engagement with the first drive element which is being driven by the first rotary motor, the driven member of the first mover encounters the second drive element and is mechanically engaged by the second drive element with a rotary velocity and position synchronized at equal tangential velocity with the first drive element, and the mechanical engagement between the first driven element and the second drive element are synchronized in phase; and
2) during transfer, there is some overlapping time period where the movement and velocity of the first mover is controlled by the synchronized rotational position, velocity, and acceleration of both the first and second drive elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the following conditions occur after the first mover is transferred from engagement with the first drive element to the second drive element:
as the first mover travels, the first drive element disengages the first mover, wherein the first mover will then only be controlled by the second drive element; and
the second mover approaches the first drive element with a tangential velocity, and the rotational velocity and phase of the first drive element is adjusted to match the tangential velocity and phase of the driven member of the approaching second mover.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said path is in the form of a closed loop.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said path is linear.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second drive elements are pinion gears.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second driven members are gear racks.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second drive elements are toothed timing belts.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second driven members are gear racks having a rack gear profile that is shaped to be driven alternatively by either a pinion gear or a toothed timing belt.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first drive element is a pinion gear and the second drive element is a toothed timing belt.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first drive element is a toothed timing belt and the second drive element is a pinion gear.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of drive elements further comprises a third drive element that is driven by a third rotary motor, wherein said third drive element is positioned downstream in the machine direction from said second drive element, said method further comprising steps of:
h) moving the first mover and its driven member into position to approach and mechanically engage said third drive element, wherein the driven member of said first mover is moving at a tangential velocity;
i) adjusting the rotational velocity of the third drive element with the third drive motor to a fourth rotational velocity, where the fourth rotational velocity of said third drive element causes the tangential velocity of the third drive element to match the tangential velocity of the approaching driven member of the first mover; and the mechanical engagement between the third drive element and the approaching driven member of the first mover are synchronized; and
j) synchronously mechanically engaging the driven member of the first mover with the third drive element at a third position, wherein the third drive element is driven by the third rotary motor with a fourth rotational velocity, and the fourth rotational velocity of said third drive element prescribes the tangential velocity of the first mover; while the tangential velocity of the first mover is independently controlled by the third drive element which is driven by the third rotary motor, wherein the motion profile of the first and second movers are independent, allowing controlled relative tangential motion between the first and second movers.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said plurality of movers further comprises a third mover that is upstream of said second mover, and said method further comprises the steps of:
k) synchronously mechanically engaging the driven member of the second mover with the second drive element at said second position wherein the second drive element is drive

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Papsdorf Clifford Theodore
• Debruler Jason Lee
• Congleton Stephen Douglas
• Howdyshell Mark Neil

Classifications

• B61B13/00 Primary

  Other railway systems · CPC title

• B65G35/00

  Mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B61B13/125

  the propulsion device being a rotating shaft or the like · CPC title

• B65G17/12

  comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element · CPC title

• G05B2219/2621

  Conveyor, transfert line · CPC title